Mind Reader
by SkyeTheFangirl
Summary: (New title) "Maybe 'cause...I can read minds." Sayaka let out a soft giggle, looking at the confused look on her friend's face. "You're joking, right?" No, she wasn't joking. Spoilers for DR1. No pairings.
1. Before Hope's Peak

**First time writing in the Danganronpa fandom! Some of you guys might know me for submitting** **crappy as hell** **OCs, but this is a first. (Looks at discarded OC pile where Hikari, Naesumi, and Miyaiko are) I've always liked the idea of Sayaka actually being a psychic, and she's one of my favorite characters because of this headcanon. So...MindReader!Sayaka commence!**

 **DISCLAIMER: I DON'T OWN DANGAN RONPA, I ONLY OWN THE NAMES AND PERSONALITIES OF SAYAKA'S GROUPMATES (Minus Ayaka)**

* * *

5-year old Sayaka Maizono sat in her room, looking out the window at the constantly busy highway, even at late night. She technically was supposed to have her curtains closed to preserve heat, since the apartment building's heater was out and it was winter, or her father would be angry, but Sayaka loved looking out the window. Besides, he wasn't home from work yet. Outside of her window, there were people. Where people were, there would be hundreds, thousands of little glowing wisps for her to look at. All she had to do was focus on one little wisp, and she could hear what they were thinking.

Of course, she didn't know this. She never stopped to think about what exactly she was hearing. What five-year old would?

She brushed her dark blue hair out of her eyes and continued combing the street for green wisps, her favorite. All the thoughts were organized by color.

Green was happy. Sayaka loved these, because they always uplifted her spirits after listening to her dad yell at her when he was around. Red was angry. When she was in a foul mood, she liked to listen to these, because she sympathized with these people. Blue was sad. Sayaka disliked listening to those, but they were interesting when she could catch one. Purple was fear. Sayaka, whenever listening to these, was always worried for no particular reason, and because of this, never listened to these. White was none. White was always some random practical thought, such as what to make for dinner, what errands the person had to do. They were boring to listen to, but they were safe and a good time waster.

They each had little auras too. No auras were normally what almost everyone had. But, yellow was special, and a rare aura. They made Sayaka feel uplifted, better, and more hopeful after listening to them, even if she was listening to a sad thought. It was odd. Black auras were even rarer. They filled Sayaka's heart and mind with dread, fear, and despair.

And the voices. Sayaka heard a matter of different voices. Light, feminine ones. Gruff, burly ones. All the voices you could imagine and everything in between. They filled Sayaka's ears like the melodies she often sang to herself.

"SAYAKA!"

Guiltily, Sayaka turned her body to face her father. She bent her head over and flipped the hood of her hoodie on her head, her shoulder length blue hair covering her eyes, which were downcast to the ground.

"Sayaka. Look at me when I'm scolding you."

She lifted her face up with a jerk, making sure to not look at his eyes, but at his stomach, or his hair, anywhere but his eyes.

"What did I tell you about the window?"

"To close the curtains or it'll be cold…" She mumbled, tightening her pale pink hoodie around her.

"Yet you directly disobeyed my orders and kept the curtains open, right?"

"Yes…"

Her father let out an annoyed huff, and shook his head. He turned around and walked out of her tiny room. Sayaka closed her white curtains that didn't even properly block out the light and sat on her bed with the cheap white sheets and horribly thin blanket. She saw a few red wisps leftover from where he was. She decided to catch them or they would fade within a few seconds.

 _"Useless."_

 _"Why doesn't she ever listen?"_

 _"Why her mother leave?! I can't handle her!"_

 _"She is going to drive me to hell and f-"_

Sayaka decided not to listen to that last thought.

* * *

Sayaka saw red. Well, not really. What she saw was a very annoyed father, red wisps streaming out of his head.

 _"What kind of 7-year old needs to see a counselor about her 'imaginary' visions? This is so goddamn stupid! I'm missing work for this!"_

Said 7-year old who needed to see a counselor was Sayaka herself. At her yearly doctor visit, she had told the doctor about the wisps and visions she saw, and they decided to send her to a counselor. Like…like she wasn't normal!

She chewed on her hair, saying nothing. In fact, she was fuming. Why would her father actually agree with this? Was he TRYING to make her mad? She sighed sadly and stared out the car window. At least there were other people's thoughts to read…

"So, your doctor said that you can see colored lines come out of people's heads and hear their voices?"

Sayaka wanted to tell the truth. She really did, wanted to know what the heck was going on with her. But one read of the counselor's thoughts told her not to.

 _"God, these people are getting more insane every time. Why?"_

"No." Sayaka said.

"Then why are you here? Are you lying?"

"No. I don't know why I'm here. Can I go home? Please? It's boring here and it was boring at the doctor's."

"Well, uh…"

"Just don't make father pay for this. I was here for 5 minutes only, and he's really mad right now…"

"Well…I guess. But come back if anything happens, alright?"

 _"Please don't come back…I'm not in the mood to explain imaginary friends to snotty 7-year-olds."_

Imaginary friends? Snotty? This lady was so rude! Sayaka stood up, smoothed down her itchy blue shirt and white skirt, and did an about-face, walking right out of the office. As soon as she had left, she started to panic a little. Would her father have to pay? Would the counselor tell her father that she was rude? Why did she do that? She re-entered the waiting room, and her father immediately looked straight at her.

"Well?"

"Can I go home?"

"You were in there for 5 minutes. Why?"

"I dunno! Now, can we please go home? I don't like this place. At all."

 _"Whiny brat."_ Was what Sayaka heard.

* * *

Sayaka re-read the script. Over. And over. She was auditioning for a musical play at the local theater. Her idol shows finally inspired her to try singing, to come out of her shell and get away from her father. So, after school that day, the 9-year-old ran to the community theater, flyer in hand, not even bothering to read thoughts.

She reassured herself over and over. After all, she had spent hours for the past few days singing and practicing her lines. She was going to be the water fairy. Originally, she had wanted to be the flower fairy, but she decided her blue hair would be better suited for the water fairy role.

She sang softly, under her breath. She did this with every line, until she pretty much had nothing left to look over and the words blurred in her vision. She focused on everyone else instead. Most of the thoughts were purple, fear.

 _"Don't screw this up…"_

 _"Oh my god!"_

 _"How do I remember this?"_

 _"Ah!"_

 _"Oh, why!"_

 _"I'll never get this right!"_

She found a girl who didn't have purple thoughts. Her hair was long and brown, in a ponytail. She was very pretty, like the kind of girl with a lot of friends and money. Her thoughts were green. Sayaka read one of them.

 _"This'll be easy. I have a lot of talent…and a lot of friends who support me…maybe I'll make it in because of talent, and not because my parents paid for it!"_

"Your parents pay for you to get in to things?"

"What?" The girl had said. Oops. Sayaka had said that aloud.

"Um…Uh…" Sayaka cowered back a little, nervous.

"How did you know?"

"Good…in…tu…it…tion?" Sayaka used the word carefully, it being a new word she had learned recently. It meant quick insight…right?

"Wow. It must be really good. But…yeah. I'm Hoshi Fukui. What part are you trying out for? I'm trying out for the flower fairy."

"I'm Sayaka Maizono. And…the water fairy…since my hair and eyes and all…"

"Cool. Maybe if we both get in, we can be in the play together!" Hoshi said, cheerful.

"I'm trying out for the water fairy…are you sure?" Asked a girl from behind Sayaka.

This new girl had short black hair, a little past her shoulders and wavy, with bangs. Her eyes were nervous, drifting around, but she was also very pretty.

"The water fairy isn't a very shy girl. Try auditioning for the light fairy or something, it might be better for you. Besides, Sayaka looks the part." Suggested Hoshi to the girl. The girl dipped her head down.

"Yeah…I memorized all the script…So I can switch parts…"

"You did?" Sayaka asked in shock.

She shrugged. _"It's not a big deal…"_ Sayaka listened to the purple thought drifting out of the girl's head.

"It is a big deal! Memorizing the script is impressive!"

"Eh!? How did you know what I was thinking?"

Shoot! What was Sayaka going to do? She hadn't meant to say that aloud! Oh, why was she slipping up so much today!?

"Instead of accusing her, why don't you introduce yourself?" Asked Hoshi.

"Oh. Um. Sora…Watanabe…"

"All we need is to find two more girls who are going to be the forest fairy and the healing fairy, and we can be a group!" Hoshi said.

"We've got that covered." Announced a new voice. Sayaka turned her head to see two more girls her age. One with short, reddish-brown hair that reached her chin, also very pretty, and another, the speaker, with long, dark brown hair divided into two batches on the back with bangs on the front. Her eyes were greyish-green and thin, and her ears and nose were kind of big.

"Hi! I'm Yuina Kagome! I'm gonna be the healing fairy, and this is Ayaka Haneyama!" Said the red-headed girl cheerfully.

"Oh Yuina, why can't you be quiet for two seconds?" Sayaka heard Ayaka think.

"That's kinda rude…Yuina seems very friendly…" Sayaka muttered.

"What's kinda rude?" Yuina questioned.

Sayaka had spoken aloud again. Dang it.

"How did you know what I was thinking?" Ayaka questioned, looking slightly annoyed.

"She has good intuition." Said Hoshi.

* * *

Sayaka peered out from behind the curtains. Here she was, dressed in a gorgeous water-fairy costume, a pair of lovely blue/transparent wings secured on her back, with the four girls she had met at the audition.

"How many?" Sora asked softly.

"Lots." Sayaka said.

Over these past few months of practice, Sayaka had learned that despite their personalities and who they were, they all had voices…of angels. And then there was her squeaky, scratchy voice. Well, that's what she thought. Maybe it was just the insecurity due to her father's ignorance and anger affecting her mind.

Sora had so much star power when she was singing, Ayaka had the best voice for wordless singing, as the forest fairy so often did, Yuina's voice was so high and clear, and Hoshi's voice would make you cry. Sayaka played with the blue ribbons woven in her hair, and started reading some of the thoughts of the audience. Some were green, most were white, one was…red?

 _"So excited to see Hoshi shine!"_

 _"I hope Yuina does a good job."_

 _"I wonder how this goes."_

 _"Miyaiko said that the set was beautiful, and if she painted it, it must be true."_

 _"Yawn."_

 _"Stupid Sayaka. Signing up for a god damn play without asking, then she expects me to come see her 'shine'? I'm only here because she can't walk home in the dark or the authorities will be up my as-"_

That was her father. Of course.

Sayaka closed the curtain wordlessly and turned to face the group.

"Well, girls. let's give them the best performance ever!"

* * *

Take a bow.

She had done it. She had sang and performed in a play in front of a ton of people. They were clapping, cheering, thoughts were mostly green. Well, except her father's. That hadn't changed.

 _"Finally! That was boring as hell. Now I can go home."_

Sayaka walked backstage, towards the dressing room. After quickly changing from her costume to some more comfortable clothes, she listened to her friends' thoughts.

 _"Th-that was scary..."_

 _"Awesome!"_

 _"Ah, no more rehearsals..."_

 _"We were amazing!"_

Smiling, she exited the room and went to listen to congratulations, and look for her father. She read a few thoughts, just to keep her from getting too bored.

"Sayaka? Sayaka Maizono?"

She turned around to face a middle age woman.

"I loved your performance, you were beautiful, and you had such a lovely voice."

"Th-thank you..." Sayaka said softly, blushing in the praise. Then she heard a familiar, scolding voice.

"Sayaka!" Sayaka turned around again to face her father.

"Oh, is this your father?" Asked the woman.

"Yes, I am her father, and I'm taking her home."

"Why? I was hoping to talk to her a little more."

"Because she signed up for this play without my permission, and I'm only here because she needs a ride home."

"Why would you sign up without asking your father?" The woman asked Sayaka.

"Because I knew he would say no...And...And I wanted to be like those idols on TV..." Her eyes welled with tears, fearing the punishment to come.

"Well, I think she has star power, and that she would make a wonderful musician. And those girls, the other fairies, their voices worked so well with hers. In fact...I'd like to try setting up a small concert with the girls. I talked to their parents already, and Sayaka would earn about 15% of the profit.

" _Money? Sayaka can earn money from doing this useless act? Well, then...how do I say no?"_

That was all Sayaka ever was to her father. An otherwise useless moneymaker.

* * *

"If you wanna rise to the top, then you gotta...believe!" She sang in harmony with the other girls. Her group. The Maizono 5. Here Sayaka was, in a huge concert with her group, being broadcasted to TV. It was the last day of the week-long event, and Sayaka was finally ready to stop singing and missing school, simply because her vocal cords were too strained to sing any more. She retreated off the stage, where she and the Maizono 5 were immediately surrounded by fanboys and girls alike. Taking a pen from a pocket in her skirt, she started signing autographs, taking pictures, smiling, laughing, posing, answering questions, putting up a perfect public appearance all while walking back to the car that would drive them all to the large house the girls shared.

No time to read thoughts anymore, because last time she tried to read fan's thoughts while walking, she nearly got trampled. It hurt. A lot. She just couldn't multi-task between walking, signing autographs, posing, waving, and mind-reading all at once!

Sayaka looked through the crowd for her father. Why she even bothered anymore, she had no clue. But still, old habits die hard. But he never showed up to any of her concerts. In fact, the last time she had seen him was when she bumped into him on the street, while he was on the way to the bank to cash in a check. A check that she had earned for him. The group reached the car and she stepped in, the car, waving once before going inside.

"Wooh! Finally! Last concert for the week!" Yuina cheered.

"But that means we have school on Monday." Ayaka pointed out.

"W-What's wrong w-with school?" Sora squeaked.

"Yeah! There's a ton of people there!" Hoshi said.

Sayaka ignored the conversation and looked out the tinted windows. She read a few thoughts as the car drove away.

 _"SQUEE! I GOT AN AUTOGRAPH FROM SAYAKA!"_

 _"AYAKA AND SORA POSED FOR A PICTURE!"_

 _"OMG OMG YUINA WAVED TO ME!"_

 _"HOSHI! I LOVE HOSHI!"_

These thoughts were always so shallow, but they did provide a boost of confidence. And confidence boosts, in all honesty, was what Sayaka lived for these days. She released her ponytails and ran her fingers through her long hair.

"Sayaka." She heard one of her friends say. Hoshi maybe?

"Hm?" She said, distracted.

"Are you okay?"

"Huh?"

"You seem tired. And a little...out of it."

"I'm fine... The daily concerts for the whole week have worn me out..."

Sayaka turned her head to her friends, chatting sleepily in the car. She accessed their thoughts. She had stopped to consider that reading other's thoughts may be wrong, but as long as she didn't mention it, it was probably alright anyways, like how in the media. If the news didn't cover it, as a reporter once told her, then it was okay, and it never happened.

 _"Is Sayaka really okay?"_ Hoshi.

 _"Sleepy..."_ Yuina.

 _"..."_ Ayaka.

 _"I hope I never have to do a bunch of daily concerts again..."_ Sora.

* * *

Sayaka stared aimlessly out of the window, watching…well, nothing. The school courtyard was empty. Everyone was in class. She really should have been paying attention to the lesson, but why bother when she'd ace the class anyways? She felt guilty for thinking this way, really, but nobody even cared that she was cheating her classes because she was famous.

Well, one person remotely cared.

Makoto Naegi.

She didn't know him all that well, but had been working up the nerve to talk to him since that crane incident. She had accessed his thoughts once or twice, and she noticed there was a slight, faint yellow glow to his thoughts. From what she knew, a person's who thoughts had a yellow aura were the best kind to read, since they always filled her heart with hope, and peace, and happiness. She didn't know why his thoughts made her feel that way. They just…did.

The bell rang. Sayaka picked up her notebooks and folders, and then proceeded to file out of class with everyone else. Lunchtime.

"Sayaka?"

Sayaka turned around to face her teacher. She signaled for her group members to go to lunch without her.

"Yes?"

"You missed two quizzes while you were absent."

"Oh, I'm sorry, I'll retake them now if you'd like-"

"No, it's alright; I marked both scores as A+ in the gradebook. I just wanted to let you know."

"No, really, I'll retake them-"Sayaka insisted, but was interrupted by the teacher firmly telling her to go to lunch. She frowned slightly, but then put on her public smile and turned around to head to lunch. She caught the eye of Makoto Naegi. A slight, disapproving frown and a headshake. He had seen that. She cast her eyes down.

 _"And another grade she didn't earn…"_

It's not like she **wanted** her teachers to give her good grades no matter what. It's just that they insisted!

 _"She really should try harder to deny her teachers…"_

Makoto then left, and she stood there in stunned silence. Maybe she should try harder. She then started to get swarmed by students, girls wanting to be her best friend, boys wanting to date her for fame. The usual. Sayaka was sick of them today. She pushed her way through the crowds, ignoring the purple fear/surprise thoughts that popped up as she continued to push people's arms away. She had to tell Makoto that she couldn't help it!

But no, too late. The crowd swarmed her again and she groaned inwardly. She told herself to read thoughts, since that usually calmed her.

 _"What the hell was Sayaka doing?"_

 _"She's so cute no matter what she does!"_

 _"So close…just cut a piece of her hair…"_

Wait, what?

* * *

The mail was here. Sayaka was people watching. Normally, at this time, 10 AM, she'd be at practice, or at a photo shoot, or whatever she normally did during spring holiday. But today, she had a day off. Just her. Not the other girls. So, she sat in front of a window. She couldn't help but recall being 5, watching idol shows, avoiding her father, and people watching. Sayaka bounded down a few flights of stairs and walked to the entrance hall of the house. She wasn't exactly dressed for outside, and paparazzi could be everywhere, but whatever.

She briefly stopped at the fridge to check that she had lunch preparations for herself ready, and then walked outside, her hair casually done in a ponytail, wearing a comfortable t-shirt and pair of leggings. She checked in the mailbox.

Creepy love letters for her and Hoshi, which she tucked under her arm to throw in the garbage can, letters for her manager, mostly, and…wait.

A letter from Hope's Peak Academy? Addressed to….her?

Sayaka ran inside and dug into a drawer in her manager's office for a letter opener. She slid the blade through the top of the envelope, and pulled the letter out and sat on the office chair. Really, she shouldn't be in this room, but she couldn't contain her excitement. Could this really be…?

 _Sayaka Maizono,_

 _After a long scouting and selection process, we have selected you as a student to attend class 78 of Hope's Peak academy. Your official title will be the **Super Duper High-School-Level Pop Sensation** due to you being the leader of the idol group, The Maizono 5. Our first school day will begin on April 15th, and you do not have to come in uniform until you have been assigned the official one. More information on boarding and curriculum can be found on the website. _

_We hope you will accept this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to attend our school._

 _Headmaster, Jin Kirigiri_

The paper crumpled in Sayaka's clenched fists. She was sure that anyone reading her thoughts would see nothing but green wisps everywhere. Of course, no one could read her thoughts since she was a mind-reader herself, but still…

She was gonna be a student in Hope's Peak! She had to tell everyone!

* * *

Sayaka told her groupmates first. There were mixed reactions. Although everyone acted happy, one glimpse in their thoughts told her otherwise.

 _"Wow! Sayaka's gonna be a student! She'll be set for life, and not to mention, we'll get that life bonus too!"_ Hoshi.

 _"Yayyyyyy Sayaka!"_ Yuina.

 _"…Good for her. As long as she doesn't miss any practices or concerts…"_ Sora.

" _…Great. Just great. Now she'll get even more famous and leave us in the dust."_ Ayaka?

Her manager had readily agreed when Sayaka showed her the note. The only problem was, Sayaka needed the consent of a parent or legal guardian, which was technically her father. Joy. So, she dressed herself and set off on the long walk, about 30 minutes, to her apartment. Sure, she could take a car, but she liked walking, and it was spring anyways. Besides, she was famous, so if anything happened, the police would be on it in 20 seconds.

She clutched the letter in her hands as she turned corners and crossed streets. She intended to keep this Hope's Peak stuff secret until her father approved. She was sure he would, after all, graduating from Hope's Peak would guarantee success for pretty much ever, and more success meant larger checks from her every month. She poked in thoughts here and there.

 _"Hey, is that Sayaka Maizono?"_

" _Is that Sayaka?"_

 _"What's she holding?"_

 _"Is that the Hope's Peak symbol on that paper?"_

Sayaka sped up her pace. It's okay, she was almost there, and the area around the apartment building was relatively empty. But, no people were following her! She rushed ahead, trying to outwalk everyone, her boots clacking noisily on the ground. Just a few minutes longer…

Ah! She was at the apartment building and her old home.

Sayaka entered the worn old building, with its bricks and crumbling roof. She headed straight for the stairs (There weren't any elevators) and started advancing to the top floor, where her father lived. Finally reaching her destination, she knocked on the door. Wait, why was she knocking? She had a key. It had been too long since she was here.

She dug the key out her long coat's pocket and inserted it into the knob. Her father probably wasn't even home. The door clicked open and she stepped inside. It was smaller than she remembered. But, the apartment was dirty, crumbled, even worse than last time she visited, when she was 11 or so. Also, there was a giant TV. And her father, looking horrible, sitting on the couch.

"Shyaka?" He was drunk too. So this was what he'd been spending the money on? Alcohol? What happened to her workaholic father who always wore a crisp shirt and tie? Whose hair was always neat, and not stringy? The face was definitely the same, and he overall looked exactly like her father. Although she never liked her father much when she was younger, at least he wasn't a mess to look at.

"Father? Is that you?" She asked, nervous.

"Yesh. What…briinggsss…you here?"

"I wanted to ask you something, but um…you're probably too drunk to notice."

"Whaaaatt…do…you…want?"

"I…I got a letter from Hope's Peak academy. I need you to sign the forms attached to this letter so I can attend."

"So?"

"So…do it."

She handed her father the papers and warily read his thoughts.

 _"What the *bleep* is that *bleep* doing here?"_

 _"Doesn't she know she's not *bleeping* wanted?"_

 _"Maybe I'll make her feel my *bleeping* misery."_

Misery? Her father scanned the letter, and then proceeded to tear it. She snatched it out of his hands and clutched the half-destroyed letter to her chest.

"I can stop sending you checks if you do this!" Sayaka exclaimed in horror.

"Fine you little-"Sayaka politely covered her ears as her father signed the lines.

* * *

 **Ta da!**

 **That was horrible, I know.**

 **But anyways, I hope you liked it. I'll update in a week or two. Next time is Sayaka's first day at the mutual killing. And yes, after she dies, I'll be continuing this from her ghost's/spirit's POV. This story was made to examine the possibilities of her possible mind-reading powers, and I'll continue to mess with them. So...uh...**

 **BTW, no LeoSaya. I don't get it.**

 **Sayaka and Mukuro FRIENDSHIP to come. Yes, really. I'm not joking.**

 **-Skye**


	2. Introductions

**Thanks for the good reception! I'm surprised, this story was a pretty crappy idea. *hides in corner* Maybe I just have low self esteem... Anyways, words in italics only are Sayaka's thoughts, words with italics, underline, AND quotes are other's thoughts. Don't worry, I'll state who's thoughts they are.**

* * *

Here she was.

Here she was, standing in front of Hope's Peak academy.

Sayaka re-did one of her silver clips and looked at the looming building.

"Wow..." She muttered.

Today was the day that she became a student here. Today. She had sent her luggage with her clothes several days beforehand, so she had nothing to hold. She played with the ends of her blue hair nervously. There...was no point in waiting, right? If she waited too long, the fans might realize that she was here and not at home, sleeping like her group mates had posted on social media. So, ignoring her pounding heart, she stepped closer to the building. Why was she so nervous? This was easier than doing a concert... Sayaka opened the doors to the building, recalling the instructions to meet in the entrance hall at 8. Granted, she was an hour and a half early, but, it was better to be early than late.

Her foot stepped inside, then everything swirled around her and she blacked out.

* * *

 _Where am I?  
_

Sayaka opened her eyes. Her head was on a table. A glass one. She was in a large, empty room with lots of chairs and tables. Some sort of dining room perhaps? The large window was covered completely. Odd, she could have sworn she could see inside it when she was outside...

She lifted her head off the table and stood up, brushing dust of her uniform. How long had she been sleeping here?

 _Better look around..._

She saw a clock, reading 7:50. She glanced at the table. There, next to where her head had been was a note. A folded paper. She opened it carefully. There, in scrawled, messy, childish writing with a doodle of a monochrome colored bear of some sort, was a very short letter.

 **Hey there new kid!**

 **The next semester is about to start. Starting today, this school will be your entire world.**

 _No signature? What is this...?  
_

Sayaka left the note on the table and looked around. There appeared to be the exit to this dining room or whatever, and another door next to it. She peered into the smaller door, which lead into the kitchen. There, was a girl.

 _Wait, I recognize her!_

The girl had blue eyes and long, thick, strawberry blonde hair tied in two pigtails. She had a large red and white bow on her left pigtail, and a white bunny hair clip on her right pigtail, as well as a black cardigan over a white dress shirt, unbuttoned enough to expose the top of her black-and-red bra. A long tie loosely dangled around her neck, equal parts black and white, with a red "X" in a circle at the point where the colors met. She also wore a red miniskirt and mid-sized black boots with platform heels and red laces. Yep. Sayaka had seen countless magazines with this girl on front.

"Ah, are you okay?" Sayaka asked the girl, who was half conscious,and draped over a counter.

"Fine. Just a little head bump I guess-Oh,wait. You're Sayaka Maizono, right?"

"Yeah. You're…Junko Enoshima?"

"Yep. What happened?"

"Beats me. I woke up in the dining room on a table, with a weird note-"

"You mean this one?" Junko showed her the same note that Sayaka had received.

"M-hm."

"What do you think we should do?"

"I think it's almost eight. We…should head to the main hall."

"Good call. Are you a Hope's Peak student?"

"Super Duper High School Level Pop Sensation. "

"Super Duper high School Level Fashionista."

The two girls started walking to where they assumed the main hall probably was.

* * *

Sayaka poked into Junko Enoshima's thoughts.

 _"So good so far. I'm holding this act pretty well. But, I better be careful."_

 _Act about what?_

Sayaka decided to say something before she got more tempted to continue reading Junko's thoughts.

"You look a little different than what you look like on the magazines." Sayaka remarked.

"So do you. I mean, Photoshop. They do it to your pictures, right?"

"Not really. They do Photoshop it, but I don't look much different than my Photoshopped self. It's weird."

"You look almost exactly like your Photoshopped self. You're so pretty that they couldn't find anything to change." Junko said, her tone monotonous.

"i didn't offend you, right?"

"No." Junko smiled brightly. "Just messing with you. Look, that must be the main hall."

The two girls entered the main hall.

"YOU TWO! YOU WERE ALMOST LATE! IT IS EXACTLY 8!" A boy her age yelled.

"Lay off of us, we're not late yet." Junko said, annoyed.

"Is this all of us?" A girl with large black drill pigtails and extremely pale skin asked. Sayaka noted that her accent seemed...rather fake.

"We should wait for stragglers-" Sayaka was cut off by another student entering.

 _Makoto?!_

* * *

"Woah, hey! Another new kid?" Remarked the student with spiky red hair.

"Huh? Then you guys are all..." Makoto trailed off.

"Yeah. We're all new here. Today's supposed to be our first day of class." A shy-looking girl with short brown hair answered.

"So, counting him, that makes 15. Seems like a good cut-off point, but I wonder if this is everyone..." Said the rather overweight boy with glasses.

 _Why is Makoto here?_

Makoto looked at all of them, taking in their faces one by one. His thoughts of mostly confusion were pouring out of his head, Sayaka noticed.

"Um...how's it going? My name's Makoto Naegi." Makoto said, almost hesitantly. Sayaka attempted to select a thought to read, but gave up when she realized that there were too many.

"Sorry I'm late, a bunch of stuff happened, and then all of a sudden I was just...asleep."

"Woah, you too?" Said the guy with the very large amount of hair.

 _Seriously, he's like a tree._

"Things just keep getting curiouser and curiouser..." Wondered the girl with the large drill pigtails.

"So strange... I declare beyond a shadow of doubt that this is a strange situation indeed!" Said the large one again.

"Um...what are you talking about? I honestly have no idea what's going on right now." Makoto bluntly said.

"Wait a moment! There is something we must address!" Said the boy that had yelled at Sayaka and Junko earlier.

"Makoto! Your tardiness is unacceptable! Surely you were aware that the meeting was to start at 8 A.M. sharp!" He yelled. "To be late on your first day is unspeakable! I must report you and you must accept your due punishment!"

"What's your problem? It's not like he **wanted** to be late. He didn't have any control over it." Junko said, visibly annoyed. Sayaka found herself nodding in agreement.

"Everyone, just calm down! Listen, why don't we all go around and introduce ourselves?" A girl with a rather odd ponytail and athletic clothes said, cheerful.

"The hell?! Now's no time for friggin' introductions!" A rough looking boy said, his hair in an also rather odd shape.

 _Why is everyone's hair so weird? I mean, my hair is naturally blue, but it's weird._

"Maybe, but it may be good to at least find out who we all are before digging into the bigger problems here." Said the girl with the drill pigtails again. I mean, how are we all supposed to talk to each other if we do not know each other's names?"

"That's a good point." Said the shy looking girl.

"Okay, so let's get introductions out of the way, then we can move on to whatever else. Sound good?" Sayaka asked everybody. They all nodded in agreement.

 _Great. Let's learn about these people and poke in their heads a bit._

* * *

 _Let's start with the one who yelled at Junko and I earlier._

He had spiky black hair, red eyes, and large eyebrows. He also wore a very well-kept uniform, and knee-high black boots. The kanji on his arm band said "Public morals".

 _Well then, let's introduce myself._

"Hi there, I'm Sayaka Maizono." She said, cheerful.

"I'm Kiyotaka Ishimaru, the Super Duper High School Level Public Morals Committee Member! I believe in bold simplicity! Let's work together on our educational crusade!" He yelled at her. She took a step back.

 _He's...rather loud._

She poked into his thoughts.

 _"I hope I did not startle her..."_

"No, you didn't startle me! It's just that your voice is a bit loud, that's all!" She reassured him. He seemed surprised that she had somehow managed to answer his own thoughts, but surprisingly did not question her. She smiled at him.

 _Although he's loud, he seems like a good guy who follows the rules. Maybe I can become friends with him._ Sayaka went to the next person.

* * *

 _Okay, here's the next girl. She didn't talk at all, so I'm not really sure what to think._

She wore a dark female sailor Japanese school uniform, worn with a rather lengthy skirt compared to the other girl's skirts. She also had large round eyeglasses and her dark purple hair was tied in two long braids.

 _She seems also rather shy. But she does look pretty smart, I have to admit. Probably has more brainpower than I do._

""N-not that you'll remember my n-name anyway, but... I'm T-Toko... Toko Fukawa. The Super Duper High School Level Writing prodigy...or whatever..."

"I'm Sayaka Maizono. I think I've read a novel or two of yours before. They were wonderfully written."

"..."

"..."

"What are you looking at me for? You just think I'm the ugliest, filthiest thing you've ever seen, huh? Especially compared to some whore like you with looks?!"

"N-no..."

 _"Typical idiot idol. Why am I not surprised."_

"Idiot idol?" Sayaka gasped softly.

"H-how did you-?" Sayaka walked away, her feelings a little hurt. Sure, she was mostly used to it, after all, she was a celebrity, but it still stung.

* * *

 _Makoto next. I know him, but he doesn't know me, so act like you don't know him at all._

"Hi, I'm Sayaka Maizono! I look forward to getting to know you." She said happily to her familiar classmate.

There was a moment of silence while he processed her talking to him. She poked in on several thoughts. He was stating facts that he knew about her. He probably did this for everyone.

 _"She's almost like a doll or something..."_

A doll?

"I'm not a doll, you know. I'm alive!" She said.

"Huh?! Did you hear me?!" He looked panicked.

"I'm psychic." She said seriously.

 _May as well mess with him, even though I'm actually psychic._

"...Huh?" He replied, looking surprised.

"Kidding! I just have really good intuition." She reassured him.

 _Which is a complete and utter lie, but nobody has to know that. Maybe I'll bring up the topic of us going to middle school together now that he's kind of relaxed._

"Huh? Hey, by any chance...?"

"Now what?"

"...Yeah. It must be. I'm sure of it." She said, pretending to act surprised. "Hey, Makoto. Did-?" She was cut off by Kiyotaka, lecturing her and Makoto for talking so long.

"S-Sorry, Just got carried away I guess..." She answered to Kiyotaka sheepishly. He continued to lecture her.

"Y-you're right." She said, to stop him from talking any longer.

"Sorry Makoto..." She said sadly to Makoto.

 _Argh, just as I was about to have a legit conversation with Makoto too! Well, I guess I better keep introducing myself._

* * *

 _Okay, this guy next._

He had a punkish appearance with dyed spiked hair, a lot of piercings and a goatee. His eyes were pale blue and he also wore a lot heavy accessories such as a chain necklace and belts. For his clothes, he wore a white shirt with a red grunge skull design. On top of that, he had a white jacket with a popped collar. Finally, he had black pants and white shoes with platform soles.

"Yo! My name is Leon Kuwata, the Super Duper High School Level Baseball Star! What's up?" He said to her. She smiled lightly.

"I'm Sayaka Maizono. Nice to meet you!"

 _"Not only is she really cute, she's a musician too! Maybe she can help me out with my music career!"_

"Your music career?" Sayaka asked.

"How did you-"

"What kind of music? I thought you played baseball."

"I don't like it much. Never even went to practice. I'm just that good. And, to answer the music question, PUNK ROCK!"

"Oh."

"I've already got vocals covered, just need some people to play instruments."

"I can probably find someone for you." She said, smiling. She walked away.

 _He's kinda exhausting. Oh, well._

* * *

 _Moving on...this guy._

He was an overweight boy with black hair and a pointed ahoge, as well as some odd glasses. He was dressed in a white shirt with an orange tie which has a blue arrow at the tip pointing upwards. He also had a grey, unbuttoned cardigan over his shirt and an orange backpack. Finally, he had black trousers and white trainers.

"My name is Hifumi Yamada. 'The man who is the beginning and the end.' You can call me either way, I don't mind. I'm the Super Duper High School Level Otaku!"

"I think I'll just call you by name. I'm Sayaka Maizono."

 _"She looks quite a bit like a...kawaii princess! Yes, that's the word."_

"Did you just call me a 'Kawaii Princess'?"

"What?!"

"Nevermind." Sayaka said, unnerved, She backed away continued walking.

 _Well...he's creepy. Moving on._

* * *

 _Let's try this girl, the energetic one._

She had tanned skin and brown hair worn in a ponytail. She wore athletic shorts and a red track suit jacket over a white shirt. She also had a rather...curvaceous body.

"Heya! I'm Aoi Asahina, The Super Duper High School Level Swimming Pro. But my friends just call me Hina. 'Sup?"

"Sayaka Maizono! Nice to meet you."

"Sayaka...Maizono...Sayaka...Maizono...Sayaka...Maizono." She started writing on her palm.

"What are you doing?" Sayaka asked.

"If you write someone's name on your palm a few times, then you'll never forget their name!"

 _"Wait, how do you spell Maizono?"_

"M-A-I-Z-O-N-O." Sayaka said.

"How'd you know I didn't know how to spell your last name?"

"I just guessed." Hina willingly nodded.

 _She's so energetic and cheerful. I think I'll like her._

* * *

 _Okay, how about this girl? She looks nice._

She had a small, lithe stature and doll-like appearance with short, light brown, layered hair and greenish-brown eyes. She also wore a school uniform set consisting of a dark green jacket with a white dress shirt underneath, a brown skirt, matching suspenders, black socks and white shoes.

"Hello, nice to meet you. My name is Chihiro Fujisaki, the Super Duper High School Level Programmer slash Hacker." She said, blushing.

"Sayaka Maizono, nice to meet you too!"

There was a little silence between the two.

"I'm sorry, did I say something wrong? You're so silent."

"No, nothing!" Sayaka denied.

"S-sorry..."

"No need to apologize."

Another silence.

 _"Okay, she seems convinced that I'm a girl..."_

 _Wait...Chihiro is a boy? If it weren't for this mind-reading thing, I would have been convinced that he was a girl! It must be a secret though, better not say anything..._

* * *

 _Alright, next._

This girl was a relatively tall young woman, with purple eyes and a pale complexion. She wore her lavender hair down and with a braid on the side, tied with a black ribbon. Her outfit consisted of a dark purple collared jacket over a white blouse and brown tie, along with a short skirt and heeled knee-high boots. She also, oddly enough, wore black gloves.

"..."

"..."

"Um...May I ask your name?" Sayaka asked politely, feeling suddenly shy.

"My name is...Kyoko Kirigiri."

"Sayaka Maizono..." Sayaka said softly.

 _Odd. She didn't tell me her talent._

"May I ask your talent?"

"...Why?" Kyoko replied.

"I was just curious...if you don't wanna tell me, then..."

"Then I won't tell you."

"Um...okay."

 _"Even if I was willing to tell her, I don't even remember what my talent is..."_ On hearing this mentally, Sayaka gasped. Kyoko looked at her, confused.

"Nothing. I'm going to move on." Sayaka briskly walked away from Kyoko.

 _I don't want to mess with this girl, that's for sure..._

* * *

 _I'm going to say hi to Junko before continuing these introductions..._

"You already know my name!" Junko said cheerfully to Sayaka.

"Haha, yes, I do. How's introductions going?" Sayaka asked her.

"Pretty well. Everyone here is crazy to some extent though."

"We're not exactly your average students... Well, except for Makoto." Sayaka remarked.

"Ha ha, yep. Are you done?"

"No, not done introducing myself yet."

"Well, then. let's finish." Junko said, walking away.

" _Pretty close calls. Almost introduced myself as Mukuro Ikusaba when I was talking to Makoto..."_

 _Mukuro Ikusaba?! Then...what happened to Junko? Better keep this under wraps until I can speak privately to...Mukuro about this._

* * *

 _Let's not focus on Mukuro right now. Move on to this guy._

He was a tall and muscular young man with slightly tanned skin, defined facial features and purple eyes. His clothes were a black overcoat adorned with the symbol of "The Crazy Diamonds" along with Japanese text and dragon motifs in orange, worn open over a white A-shirt, baggy black pants held up by a belt and white loafers. The buckle of his belt was shaped like a lion-dog.

"Name's Mondo Owada. Nice to *bleep*'n meetcha."

"Uh...uhm..." Sayaka said, slightly frightened.

"..."

"Uh...I'm Sayaka Maizono. By the way...what's your talent?"

"Biker gang leader."

"...Oh...okay."

 _"Great. I scared her."_

"You didn't scare me! That much, anyways." Sayaka quickly walked away before he could respond. Honestly? He scared her. A lot.

 _Woah. Better stay out of his way._

* * *

 _N-next..._

She...this was a girl, right? She had a very tall muscular build. She had long white hair, reddened-dark skin, and a scar across her face. She's wearing a white sailor school uniform with ripped sleeves and bandages on her arms and legs, and a blue skirt.

"I am Sakura Ogami."

 _Yep, her name is definitely a girl's name. I'm glad I didn't wonder her gender out loud. She's not as scary as Mondo is, but she still could hurt me._

"What's your talent?" Sayaka asked.

"Martial Artist."

"Oh. Okay then." Sayaka tried to access her thoughts, but there really wasn't much to be read.

 _"…"_

 _Looks like there's not a lot on her mind. I better move on._

* * *

 _Okay…this guy. Great. He looks like a boatload of fun._

He had a tall, slim figure, and wore a white shirt underneath and a green criss-cross tie. He had short dirty blond hair, and he wears white framed glasses.

"Um…hi. I'm Sayaka Maizono."

"Name's Byakuya Togami, the Super Duper High School Level Heir."

"Um…alright."

"…What do you want?"

"I just wanted to introduce myself." Sayaka replied.

"Do you know who I am?"

"More or less. You're not really involved in the music world, so I can't say that I know much about you. I know you run a huge business and all, if that accounts for anything." Sayaka said.

"I was asking because if you knew, then you would have left."

"Oh! Geez! I am SO sorry! I had NO idea that I was supposed to leave, even though YOU gave me SO many visual cues and SIGNALS! I am SO sorry! SO sorry that I don't appear to have as much brain power as you, therefore I can't figure out SIMPLE logic!" Sayaka replied, sounding as sarcastic as possible in a sudden fit of snarkiness.

 _Wow…He actually looks surprised. And angry. Did I really tick him off that much? Either way…it's kind of funny._

 _"How dare some…pest…such as she…dare say that to me?"_

"I'm not a pest!" Sayaka said, annoyed.

"How did you-"

Sayaka laughed and walked away.

 _That was…entertaining. Heh heh._

* * *

 _Oh, man, that was funny. Let's move on._

The next guy had a…rather extravagant hairstyle, spiky and large, which was dark brown. He wore three layers of shirts, the top one being an old green uniform jacket, the second one being a white rough shirt, and his third layer is a small yellow short-sleeved shirt. He wore a big brown sash and used a yellow rope as his belt.

"I'm Yasuhiro Hagakure-Hiro for short! Super Duper High School Level Fortune Teller! Take it easy, yeah? I know I will!"

"Sayaka Maizono. Nice to meet you."

"You know, there's something special about you. I just know it."

"What?"

"You don't happen to be one of those creeps who can read minds, right?"

"What?!"

"Just messing with you. Hey, see if you can guess what I'm, thinking, and we can prove it!"

 _I better not say anything aloud._

 _"A bigfoot being chased by sky fish."_

"I'm sorry, a bigfoot being chased by sky fish?" Sayaka asked, out of shock.

 _Oh no! I didn't mean to say anything aloud! Argh! What do I do?_

"Woah! How did you-?"

Sayaka held a hand out in front of his face.

"Fine, I can read minds. Happy? You know what, before you answer, do it in your head. I'll just read it. Please don't tell anyone! Please!" Sayaka said, hushed.

 _"Okay, I won't. Your secret is safe with me."_

Sayaka smiled and nodded. She could…probably trust him with this. Even if he revealed it, she was a better liar than this guy probably was. She'd be okay.

Probably.

* * *

 _Let's talk to this last girl._

She had a slim figure and pale skin, with black hair in two large twin-drill pigtails, red eyes, gold earrings, and black nail polish. She wore a Gothic Lolita outfit, consisting of a white blouse with a Peter-Pan collar, a black jacket that includes white ribbon lacing down the sleeves, fastened by a simple ribbon across her chest which showed her red tie with a butterfly pattern on it, and the waist of her skirt, was many-tiered and had a lot of white lace. She also had knee-high stockings trimmed in ladder lace, red Mary Janes with a thick heel, a white lace headpiece and a silver, almost weapon-like ring on her index finger.

"Delighted to meet you. My name is Celestia Ludenberg, The Super Duper High School Level Gambler. You may call me Celeste."

"Celestia Ludenberg? You're Japanese, not to mention that the accent is fake." Sayaka said, rather bluntly.

"Excuse me?"

"I'm in show business. I know when people are lying."

"Lying?" Celeste said. She leaned forward threateningly in Sayaka's face and tilted her head to the side, almost innocently, if it weren't for the fact that her eyes were full of malice.

"Uh…Um…I…" Sayaka stammered.

"Eheheheh. It is fine. May I have your name?"

"Sayaka Maizono…" Sayaka said, nervous.

"I hope we can get along." She had accentuated the words 'get along' in a rather threatening manner.

"Uh huh."

 _"So she's smart. I must be careful around this girl. She is good at perceiving lies."_

 _Ack. She's also scary._

 **Yay! Intros are over, let's start plot next chapter!**

 **-Skye**


	3. And the rules are explained

**UPUPUPU Yay! You guys are awesome! Thanks for the good reception! So happy! *spazzes out* *faints***

 ***Revives***

 **Phew, that was close. I almost had to get a clone to replace me-uh, I mean, um...what?**

* * *

"We should get back to the problem at hand. Now is not the time to go around smiling and making friends." Byakuya says, glaring at everyone.

"Ah, that's right. Someone mentioned this before; what's up with this situation? What's the meaning of all this?" Makoto inquires, frowning.

"Er, this is...It's just like you said... I came here and suddenly fell asleep. It looks like we're all in the same boat..." Sayaka said, nervously looking at the floor. She exchanged looks with Mukuro, or Junko, or whoever she was.

"Eh?! Everyone?!" Makoto says, seeming shocked.

 _He seems surprised. He must have woken up somewhere else._

"It was just after I entered the front hall. Suddenly I lost my consciousness, y'see. And then I found myself sleeping inside the school! That's what happened to you too, right?" Leon asked.

"B...but, isn't it strange? Everyone collapsing like that..." Makoto mused; bring a hand up to his mouth.

 _"How could this happen? All of us just pass out like that for no reason, then we just wake up here…"_

 _I don't know, Makoto. I don't know at all._

 _"_ That's why we're so fucking stumped!" Yelled Mondo angrily. Sayaka flinched at his scream.

Taka frowned, not noticing the usage of the curse. "The strangest thing isn't the collective fainting, though. Did you all see the windows in the classrooms and corridors? Everything is boarded up with steel plates. What is that supposed to mean!?"

"Also, where did my luggage disappear to? I can't find my cell phone, too..." Mused Junko, Mukuro, whatever…

"Now that you mention it, my PDA is also gone..." Said Chihiro meekly.

"Weirdest of all is this very entrance hall! It looks like the entrance is blocked by this strange steel bulkhead... I don't think it was around when I entered the school. Someone tell me! What is going on here?!" Yelled Taka with anger and confusion. There were thoughts of all purple and red everywhere, Sayaka noted. She contemplated reading them, but decided against it, she needed to focus on what was at hand.

"Maybe... we got mixed up in some kind of criminal activity?" Mukuro or Junko said, sweating nervously.

"Like... a kidnapping? You're sayin' we've all been dragged away from the academy and taken somewhere?" Leon asked, nervous, sweating.

"Hey, don't be so grim, 'right? This is probably just some kind of orientation the school is making us go through. I think I'll just go ahead and take a quick nap until it's all over." Hiro said. Despite the act of his ease, his thoughts said otherwise.

 _"…Maybe if I act fine, they will act fine. "_

Perhaps Hiro was smarter than he appeared…

"...that's probably it. It's just a plan to surprise us as we start school, isn't it?" Chihiro said, blushing and looking relieved.

"Is that all this is? In that case, can I also take a little nap? I didn't get much sleep last night, actually. I'm feeling a bit drowsy..." Leon said, sheepish, calming down. Sayaka breathed a sigh of relief. Maybe she could talk to Mukuro now-

 ** _DING DONG BING BONG_**

 _What the hell?!_

"Aaaa- Aaaa- Mike test, mike test! This is an announcement! Is this thing on? They can hear me, right? Ehh... in any case...Ehh... All new students. We want to start this year's entrance ceremony, so please gather at the gymnasium as soon as possible. And with that, I welcome you all!" a voice said on the intercom. A faint outline was on the TV. Sayaka tilted her head to the side in confusion. The voice was high pitched, easy-going, friendly, and ever so slightly…well, creepy.

"What...? What was that, just now...?" Mukuro, Junko, ( _dammit, who is she)_ said, nervously sweating again, bringing a hand to her face.

"I'm going on ahead." Byakuya said curtly. Sayaka opened her mouth in surprise.

"H...hey, wait! Why are you leaving so quickly?" Mukuro said, worried.

"A ceremony. I see, it's like that... That was just part of our entrance ceremony, 'right? They're so funny! Seriously, so funny! So, I'm going too. Can't wait to find out what they come up with next..." Hiro mused.

 _"I wanna find out what this is."_ Hiro wasn't so casual, was he?

"And just when I thought I was going to get a nap... Seriously." Leon grumbled.

"Hey, wait, let's go together!" Chihrio said, his face changing to a look of fear.

"Excuse me, I shall be going as well." Celestia said, smiling.

"You probably won't even notice, but I'm coming too!" Toko muttered, then all of them, as well as a few others, left. Sayaka stayed behind, scared.

 _What's going on? What's happening?_

"Is it... really all right?" She said, bringing a hand to her mouth, looking at the ground.

"That announcement just now, it was weirdly scary, wasn't it?" Mukuro shared her concerns.

"We can't expect to escape danger just by staying here, though. Besides, aren't you intrigued? Don't you want to know what's happening to us right now?" Kyoko asked simply.

"If we do not go forth we shall never know. Therefore, we must go." Sakura said, calmly.

"The gymnasium, was it?" Makoto asked. Sayaka nodded to him. She then left the room with Mukuro.

 _Would now be a good time to talk to her? No, not enough time. Maybe I'll just peek in her head._

 _" According to plan. Junko will announce the rules for the killing, and that should be it."_

"KILLING?!" Sayaka burst out in shock.

"Wha-what? Killing?" Mukuro bluffed.

"What do you mean, killing?" Sayaka hissed to the girl. Mukuro paused, worried. Then she ran.

"Mu-Junko! Stop!" Sayaka yelled, chasing after the girl. But the girl had made it to the lobby of the gym, and there was no way a private conversation could be held now. She paused at the entrance to the lobby, bending over and catching her breath. She then composed herself and walked in. Shortly after, Makoto arrived.

"Y'know, I didn't think Hope's Peak Academy would be such a depressing place... Somehow, it feels just like this prison I was locked in that time. Nah, this place is even worse." Mondo mused.

"And why isn't there anyone else around? Just now when we walked here, I couldn't see a single person..." Sayaka voiced this single concern. Although she had to wonder about Mukuro, people would get suspicious if she didn't say anything.

"It seriously just gets worse and worse, isn't it?" Mukuro said.

"I...it's just them trying to trick us! I'm sure they'll remove the steel plates later..." Taka murmured.

"Whatever the case may be, we must prepare for the worst. We will not be any wiser until we enter the lion's den." Sakura said, as calm as ever.

"It's not like I'm scared or nothing... Let's just go in! Fuck it! I'm going! Where are the bastards who called us here hiding?!" Mondo yelled, sprinting for the entrance to the gym itself, his face red.

"Hey, Mondo! We're not allowed to run inside the school!" Taka yelled, giving chase, and, well, running.

"Well, then. I shall go in as well." Sakura said simply.

"Aaa, wait! Don't leave me alone!" Hifumi squealed, following. There was silence. Sayaka decided to poke into everyone's heads.

 _"…"_ From Kyoko.

 _"This doesn't make any sense…"_ From Makoto.

 _"I wonder if I'll have to start the killing…"_ From Mukuro.

 _Why is Mukuro talking so much about killing?!_

Sayaka brushed these thoughts aside and entered the gym with Makoto.

"It looks just like an... opening ceremony? Nothing seems to be out of place..." Makoto murmured, examining the gym.

"See, it's just like I told you, 'right? Just your ol' "regular" new school year opening ceremony." Hiro said, casually, even though Sayaka knew he was anything but casual.

"Oy! Is everyone here!? Well then, I think it's time to begin!" The mysterious voice announced. And that's when the bear jumped from behind the podium.

"Eh...? A teddy bear...?" Chihiro said, seemingly surprised, yet ever so slightly…amused.

"Hey, I'm not a toy! I'm Monokuma! I'm your... I mean this school's... headmaster, see!" Monokuma chirped.

 _Wha-what? What is this…?_

"Nice to meet you all!"

"Uwaaaaa! That toy just talked!" Shrieked Hifumi in a rather feminine manner.

"Calm down! It probably has a speaker installed somewhere...!" Said Taka, fruitlessly trying to calm everyone down.

"Didn't you hear me? I'm not a toy... I'm Monokuma! Furthermore, your headmaster!" Monokuma yelled.

"Uwaaaa! It moved!" Freaked out Hifumi again.

"Just calm down already, will you? There's someone moving it by remote control..." Muttered Mondo.

"Hey, don't make it sound like I'm some kind of a controlled child's toy. You'll sink my feelings deeper than the Mariana Trench...There's a control system inside me that can make NASA green with envy...So I can't bear letting you say such dream-destroying hurtful things!" Monokuma said, in a chipper voice.

""Bear"? Hasn't that been done to death already?" Celeste said. Sayaka couldn't help but shake her head.

"Well, we should be moving on. Let's begin the proceedings, shall we?" Monokuma resumed.

"And now he's breaking character..." muttered Mukuro.

"Please quiet down... Ehh- well, well." Monokuma stopped himself from sounding any more professional.

"It appears he gave up." Sakura said simply.

"Stand! Bow! Good morning, you bastards!" Ordered Monokuma.

"Good morning!" Taka yelled, promptly bowing.

"You... don't have to reply..." Muttered Toko, annoyed.

"Well then. I'd like to begin an opening ceremony you'll remember for life! To start, I have a short statement regarding you bastards' school life from this moment on...Eh- You bastards are most certainly all geniuses filled with overflowing talent. You bring hope to the world! In order to preserve and guard that hope...You will live a communal lifestyle entirely inside this school's walls from now on! I hope everyone respects each other and keeps order!" Monokuma announced, a frightening gleam appearing in his red eye.

 _Live in the school? But…my career…I'm supposed to have a show next week!_

"What…?" Asked Makoto.

"Eh- in addition... regarding the extent of this communal lifestyle...It's going to be forever!In other words, you are going to live here your entire lives! That is the school life we are assigning to you bastards!" Monokuma cheered.

"What did it just say? Live here forever?" Toko stammered, shocked.

"Ah, there's nothing to worry about. We have plenty of budget. You bastards won't lack anything, I promise!" Monokuma said, smiling, flowers coming from him-wait, what?

"T...that's not why we're worried...!" Sayaka voiced her opinion, bringing a hand to her chin.

 _What is this? What's going on?!_

"We just don't get what you mean by living here forever... It's just a joke, right?" Mukuro said.

 _If she's bluffing, she's good…_

"I am most certainly not a liar! I have great pride in that! Ah, I should also let you know: you will be completely shut out from the outside world! So you shouldn't be worried anymore about what's going on in this rotten world we all live in!" Monokuma growled, then resumed his regular position.

"Shut out...? So the steel plates in the classrooms and corridors...They're there to... keep us in?" Makoto said, sounding horrified.

"That's right. It doesn't matter how much you shout. No help is coming. Therefore, you should just make the most out of your life inside the school!" Monokuma smiled and a blush appeared on his white side, putting a hand on his stomach.

"Er, what is this? What you're saying, it's nothing but a huge joke, right?" Leon said, his face blue.

"Y...you fucker... don't overdo it... if the joke doesn't stop right now, I will..." Mondo threatened.

"You keep calling it a joke or a lie. It seems you still very much doubt me. But I guess it's just natural. We're living in an age where you can't survive if you trust your neighbours, after all. In any case, I will let you confirm for yourselves whether my words are true or not. When you do that, you'll soon understand that my words are always one hundred percent factual!" Monokuma smiled, letting out a little giggle and putting his paws to his mouth.

"It's a little... troubling for us. Spending the rest of our lives in this school..." Celeste admitted.

"Oh? You're a weird bunch, aren't you? After all, didn't you all come to this school out on your own volition? Don't go on saying you want to go back in the middle of the opening ceremony...That said...To be frank, it's not impossible. There is a way to get out of here..." Monokuma said a devilish grin on his face, making him look even creepier.

"T-there is?" Toko asked.

"As this school's headmaster, I've made a special rule for people who want to leave the school! It's a rule called "graduation"! I'm sure you all want to hear all about it, so let me explain in detail. As students of this academy, you're obliged to live your communal lifestyle in an orderly fashion...But in case someone breaks the order, that person alone can leave the school grounds. That is the rule called "graduation"!" Monokuma cheered, looking excited.

"What exactly do you mean by "breaking order"?" Byakuya questioned.

"Upupu... that is... _._ The act of killing another person." Monokuma said simply.

"K…kill!?" Makoto exclaimed.

 _That's what Mukuro meant by kill? She's behind all this! She's going to murder us if we don't murder each other! She's behind this! She's behind all of this! I can't talk to her, she'll kill me!_

"Beatingstabbingclubbingbeheadingburningsuffocatingstranglingslaughteringvoodoocursing... The method doesn't matter. "Only a student who kills someone can leave". It's a very simple rule. The most evil of actions leads to the best of outcomes. I hope you all cooperate. Upupu... This heart-thumping feeling of distress... It's just as if salmon suddenly started assaulting people...Like I said before; you bastards are often called "the world's hope". Making such "hope"-filled kids kill each other - such a "despair"-filled situation -My heart is all a-thump with excitement!" Monokuma listed several ways to murder, then giggled again.

"W...what did it say!? Kill each other? What the fuck...?" Leon exclaimed.

"Killing each other is killing each other. If you need a dictionary I have one right here." Monokuma said, tilting his head to the side. Sayaka gulped.

"We understand the meaning of the words! What we want to know is why killing is necessary...!?" Hina yelled.

"That's right! Stop with the pranks! Let us go home-!" Hifumi screamed.

"Pranks? You keep using that word, prank. How many times do I have to repeat myself? You are really a bunch of thick-headed people. What's with all the "let me leave"? I keep and keep and keep telling you...Don't you get it? From now on this school is your home and your entire world. It's an all-you-can-kill, kill-or-be-killed, killing-killing-killing-all-around world!" Monokuma smiled evilly, then leaned forward threateningly, somehow.

"Oy, oy. How long are you going to keep this up?" Hiro said, sounding relaxed. Monokuma paused. Sayaka decided this would be the best time to read someone's thoughts. So, she chose Kyoko, of all people.

 _"Kill…If we started to kill…We would, wouldn't we? That's only human nature…"_

Sayaka let out a little gasp, and Kyoko paused to look at her. Sayaka nervously turned her attention back to Monokuma.

"Hm?" Asked Monokuma.

"You managed to surprise us already. It's time to give up the act, 'right?" Hiro asked, sounding more confident.

"Act…?" Monokuma asked again.

"I mean, you've really given us quite a shock." Hiro said, thoughtfully putting a hand to his chin.

"I've had it. Get the fuck out of my way...You fucker, you better apologize right now! The time for pranks is fucking over!" Yelled Mondo in rage. He shoved past Hiro and rushed towards Monokuma.

"Prank..? Are you referring to your hairstyle?" Asked Monokuma innocently.

"Gaaaaaaaaaaaa!?" Screamed Mondo, even louder. Then, mondo leaped from the floor and picked up Monokuma.

"I got you, you fucker! I don't care if you're remote controlled or a stuffed toy...I'm going to crush you like a fly!" Yelled Mondo.

"Kyaa! Violence towards the headmaster is against the rules!" Monokuma said, sounding frightened.

"Shut up! Let us out of here this instant! If you don't, I will...!" Mondo threatened. Then…

Monokuma started to beep.

Mondo yelled at the bear.

Beepbeepbeep

"It's dangerous! Toss it!" Yelled Kyoko, looking assertive.

"Huh?"

"Just do it!" Yelled Kyoko, even louder. Sayaka stepped back and covered her mouth. Then Mondo threw the bear.

BOOM

Mondo sputtered nervously.

"But since it exploded that stuffed toy is gone now..." Chihiro said, meekly.

"Not a toy - Monobear!" Yelled Monokuma, suddenly appearing from, well, nowhere.

"Aaa! Another one jumped out!" Shrieked Leon.

"You bastard...! You really tried to kill me before..." Mondo grumbled.

"Isn't it natural? Of course I tried to kill you. We can't have anyone breaking the rules, can we? I will let it pass as just a warning this time, but you should be more careful from now on. Bad children who break the rules will be punished, and not with just a spanking!" Monokuma said, putting a claw to his face, glaring.

"Hey, how many of you are there?!" Mukuro yelled.

 _I wonder if Mukuro knows how many there are…_

"Monokumas are constructed at a special place inside this very school. In addition, there are security cameras installed in every room of this school. Therefore, in case anyone does anything against the rules, they can expect severe bodily punishment! Upupu... I will not go so easy on you next time, so be careful!" Monokuma threatened.

"T...this is crazy!" Exclaimed Hina.

"Finally, to commemorate your arrival at this school, I'm giving you all a little present. It's a student identification card. Isn't it cool? It's an electronic student ID card, and therefore its name is..."The ElectroID"!" Monokuma cheered, presenting a bag of phone-like objects.

'The Electronic Student ID card is necessary for your daily activities. It's very important, so try not to lose it! When you first turn it on please confirm your own name is displayed on the screen. It has many uses besides simple identification, though...By the way; this Electronic Student ID card is completely water-proof. Even if you drop it in a vat of water, it won't be destroyed! If you try to crush it, it can easily stand a weight of 10 tons! You will find a full list of the school rules in it, so please read them carefully! I'll repeat one more time: breaking the school rules is forbidden! Rules are what bind us together as a society. Without rules, how can mankind live peacefully? That is why severe punishment is necessary for offenders! Well then, with that our school's opening ceremony is complete!Please enjoy our quiet gruesome school life! See you later!" Monokuma cheered, and then disappeared.

We all stood in silence.

"H...hey, everyone... How would you define what happened here now?" Taka ventured carefully.

"I have absolutely no idea what's going on here..." Leon muttered.

"L...l...live here forever? K...kill...? What the hell...? What's going on!?" Screamed Toko.

"Everyone, keep calm. For the time being, let's go once more over what we know. According to what this Monokuma said, we are presented we two options. The first, live peaceful communal lives inside this school with no time limit. And the second..." Kyoko hesitated.

"In order to get out of here, "kill one of our friends", was it?" Celeste finished nonchalantly.

"K...killing... there's no way..." Chihiro's eyes filled with tears.

"To be suddenly abducted and locked down in a place that looks like a school...And on top of that, to be told to kill each other...what the hell's up with that?!" Hifumi squeaked out.

"It's all a lie! Such foolish talk can't possibly be true...!" Taka stuttered.

'The problem isn't whether it's a lie or not. The problem is...if there's someone among us who takes it seriously." Byakuya said simply.

 _Takes it seriously…Then…someone is going to die, right?_

Sayaka shook her head. But the little voice in her mind told her to be on guard.


	4. Everyone yells at each other in the gym

**Where have I been? Where am I?**

 **Oh, wait, I'm just writing Like I said, I'm Psychic.**

 **Sayaka: Welcome back from the SYOCs.**

 **Thanks, Sayaka.**

* * *

Sayaka swallowed. Everyone was panicking. She could see it from the purple wisps in the air.

 _Not that I can blame them...Heck, even Mukuro is worried. Maybe she's worried about how well her plan's going?_

Sayaka let out a silent, harsh laugh. Nobody noticed.

There was silence.

Then Kyoko broke it.

"So, what do you think we should do now? Should we just continue to scowl at each other forever?" Her words snapped everyone out of their fear enduced trance, and Sayaka subtly noticed the mood change from purple to a light shade, indicating that they were fading.

"That's right. Of course, you're right. In times of fear and anxiety, one must continue moving forward! How could I forget such a simple thing? I'm despicable. I'll never forgive myself! Anyone, please hit me! I deserve it! Please, anyone!" Taka pleaded. Sayaka was almost tempted to swing her fist and smack him herself for no good reason, but she didn't. That'd be stupid.

"If you have time to make so much noise, just do it yourself." Mondo grumbled.

Hifumi started sweating. "But, speaking concretely, what exactly is our mission...?"

"Are you an idiot? We should totally look for a way to escape!" Leon yelled.

"And while we're at it, we should find whoever is controlling that stuffed toy and give him a good beating." Mukuro declared. Sayaka was almost tempted to laugh. Almost, anyways.

"Before we do that, shouldn't we take a look at that Electronic Student ID card? Monokuma mentioned some rules, and it's probably best to check them before doing anything..." Chihiro added softly. Like a mouse.

 _It's hard to believe he's a male. Maybe I didn't read that thought correctly..._

"It would be a bother if we go on acting without knowing the rules, and end up in an explosive situation like before." Celeste smiled cheerfully. Mondo just humphed.

 _She just made a pun._

 _"_ So, let's just get it over with and check what those rules are all about..." Mukuro said casually, ignoring Celeste's jab at Mondo. Sayaka tapped the button to turn on the Handbook and tapped the Rules section cautiously, half-expecting something to explode.

 **1\. The students will live a communal lifestyle with no time limit inside the school walls.  
2\. The time between 10pm and 7am is called "Night Time". During Night Time there are places that are forbidden to enter, so please take care.  
3\. Sleeping is only permitted in the personal rooms prepared for you in the dormitory area. Anyone intentionally falling asleep elsewhere will be punished.  
4\. You may investigate the school as you please. There are no special restrictions on your actions.  
5\. No violence is permitted against the school's headmaster, Monokuma. Destruction of the surveillance cameras is forbidden.  
6\. A "culprit" who kills a fellow student will graduate the school. However, they must not let any other student know they are the culprit.  
7\. Additional rules may be added by the school at any time.**

 _...That's...unpleasant, certainly. What does the 6th rule mean...? A culprit? Graduate? Not let others know they're the culprit? Mm... Perhaps Mukuro has an explanation. Yes, I'm certain. After all, she knows about this._

 _"I don't believe Junko changed anything. It's all okay."_

 _Last time...I was so shocked by her talking about killing, I didn't quite notice...she said Junko. As in, Junko Enoshima. As in the girl Mukuro is pretending to be. Who is she, and what's going on? I really should approach her properly!_

"What the fuck's going on with these rules? Do they really think they can control us this way?" Mondo yelled, irritated.

"If you think they can't, how about you try going around ignoring them? I'd really like to know what happens when someone breaks them, you see..." Celeste spoke calmly, an amused look on her pale face.

"But... if he tries anything, Mondo's number of remaining lives will drop to zero..." Hifumi panted.

Silence from Mondo.

"Ever since I was a little kid, I was taught discipline by my big brother. You must keep a "man's promise" even at the cost of your own life." Mondo grumbled.

 _What does that mean?_

"...So?" Mukuro asked.

"There's still one promise I haven't made good. So there's no fucking way I'm dying in this place!" Mondo replied loudly, as a means of explanation.

"I can't say I really understand, but for now let's agree to follow the rules?" Celeste twirled her dark hair.

"...hm? Ah... I guess that's how it has to be..." Mondo said, rubbing the back of his neck. Sayaka could sense the impending awkward silence, so she decided to voice her question.

"Excuse me... Can I say something? This sixth rule... what do you think it means?" Sayaka curled up a fist and placed it by her chin nervously.

"Are you talking about the second part, about "not letting any other student know"?" Makoto asked.

"...it probably means if you want to graduate, you must kill without anyone finding out." Byakuya answered coldly.

"W...why? What's going on here?" Toko stammered nervously.

"You don't have to worry about it. Just make sure you keep the rules you were given. That's the only thing you all have to remember. You're all a bunch of losers who can't do anything that's not decided for you by someone else. So don't ask needless questions." Byakuya said, sounding quite condescending, his arms folded, his head held higher up."

 _If I didn't like him before, I REALLY don't like him now._

"...Such moving words." Toko blushed.

 _Wait. Does she...? Oh, no way._

"As in bowel movements, right?" Leon asked. Sayaka made a face, but dropped her expression after a second.

"...For the time being, let's just drop all this talk about killing. We all know the rules now, so let's go and search the school!" Hina got a determined expression on her face, fists at the ready.

"Where are we? Is there an emergency exit somewhere? What about food and essential goods? There is a mountain of things we must find us ahead of us!" Taka pointed in the air. Sayaka had to admit, their enthusiasm and loudness was kind of a relief from the cynical Byakuya and the condescending. if smart Celeste.

"Alright, everyone - let's go exploring!" Leon yelled.

"...I'm going alone." Byakuya said, scowling.

"Huh? Why? Isn't that really strange?" Mukuro inquired.

 _If anyone is strange here, it's you, Mukuro._

"I'm sure there's at least one of you who's already scheming about killing someone... Are you saying I should cooperate with someone like that?" His thoughts expressed the same words. This person said exactly what he thought. Believing he was too powerful to associate with anyone else...

Sayaka always detested this kind of person.

"Hey, wait a minute! You can't say that!" Sayaka yelled at him.

 _"Yes, I can. I'm Byakuya Togami."_

 _And now his name is his own damn currency!_

 _"_ You can't be certain I'm wrong, can you. And that's exactly why you all got so scared once you heard about the graduation rule. ...am I wrong?" A dark look went over his face, before he ended with a satisfied smirk.

"T...that is..." Sayaka stammered. He was right, though the message was delivered quite harshly.

 _I still don't like him._

 _"_ I'll let the rest of you do as you please." Byakuya said simply.

"You bastard... you think we'll just let you do whatever you want?" Mondo asked, fist at the ready for attack in his hand.

"Get out of my way, plankton." Byakuya snapped.

"Ahhh!? What do you mean by that!?" Mondo's expression was growing quite frightening, at least, to the Idol.

"A single plankton drifting in the ocean. It doesn't matter what you do, yours is a tiny existence that has no effect on the vast sea around you." Byakuya had that damn expression of mightiness on his face again.

"Are you trying to make me kill you?!" Mondo yelled.

 _"Oh dear..."_ Celeste mused in her head.

 _"H-he's so handsome, arguing like this...so much better..." _ Toko drooled as her thoughts swam in her head.

"H...hey, wait! We shouldn't fight!" Makoto voiced, concerned. A little frightened, as well.

"Eh? What the fuck? Are you trying to be all nice with us? I'm going to teach that kid a lesson. Are you going to stop me!?" Mondo was at screaming point by now.

 _D-Don't do anything rash, Mondo!_

 _"_ N...no, that's not what I meant..." Makoto stammered nervously.

"Shut the fuck up!" Mondo screamed with rage.

 **POW!**

 _Makoto!_

* * *

Makoto had fallen unconscious. So, after Mondo had apologized repeatedly for nearly killing him (which had fallen on deaf ears) they had carted him to his dorm room.

And then they all split up and explored the school.

Sayaka went alone.

 _Ah, the cafeteria. Let's explore it a little..._

There wasn't much to see, but Sayaka had explored he kitchen. It was stocked with abundance, full of food and drinks and so much. Sayaka could cook herself a meal fairly well with lots of food, but this...this was too much to take in.

"I wonder, will this food last all of us?" Sayaka voiced her thoughts aloud.

"Yeeep!"

"Augh!" Sayaka had stumbled backwards, Monokuma appearing right in front of the girl.

"This food will be stocked regularly! Don't worry about going hungry!" And then he disappeared, much to the girl's confusion.

Sayaka took some time to explore the dorms. More than once she thought of finding Mukuro, but her fellow classmate was nowhere to be seen.

 _Mukuro...who are you really? What did you do? You're involved in this...right?_

* * *

 **Hope you enjoyed this update, because I'm probably gonna forget about this story again for another few months. Sorry there isn't much mind-reading, but there's so much going on, poor girl can't concentrate on her classmates' heads, you know?**

 **Sorry the chapter's so short compared to the others, I just thought this was a good place to stop at.**

 **-Skye**


End file.
